My Ohropax odyssey: are wax earplugs the way to go?
I seriously need to find myself the right nighttime ear protection. In a bid to get my hands on the perfect earplugs, I’ve tested three classic pairs. One made of wax, one made of silicone and a lamellar one. But which pair will actually shut out noise?
First off, let me just say thank you. The comments and e-mails I got after publishing my last article on earplugs were overwhelming. It seems I’m definitely not the only one having a hard time finding the right nighttime ear protection.
Having read all your product recommendations, I’ve sorted them into categories and put my favourites together. I’ve decided to start off with something simple: an earplug review comparing three standard pairs made of wax, silicone and lamellar material. I won’t be testing any foam varieties because they create pressure and feel itchy when I’m trying to sleep. It’s the same story with my custom-made earplugs designed for audio technicians. I’ll be giving each set of earplugs a rating of up to five stars.
Literally filling my head with cotton wool
The cheapest earplugs in this comparison are the Ohropax Classic made of mouldable paraffin wax. They’re wrapped in soft cotton wadding, which makes them more comfortable. The packaging describes them as «ON-ear» plugs, meaning they’re not supposed to go right into your ear canal. Instead, you pop them into the cup-shaped part of your ear and spread them over the ear canal. Apparently, they block out up to 22 decibels of noise.
The upside of these earplugs – especially for me – is that they don’t cause pressure when you’re sleeping or irritate the sensitive skin in your ear canal. After taking them out of the packet, I roll them between my fingers. Doing this for a few seconds makes them soft and malleable. I then place them inside the cup-shaped part of each ear and spread them out in all directions with a kneading motion. It works astonishingly well.
Then again, as soon as I lie down and move my head slightly, the wax plugs slip out of my ear. Although I press them back into place, they only hold for a few seconds before popping out again. I repeat this a few more times before frustratedly fishing the earplugs and a few bits of cotton fluff out of my ears. It’s a hard slog. In fact, it almost makes me want to fall asleep.
My rating: ⭐️⭐️
- Comfortable
- Don’t hold well
- Can only be used once
Source: Darina Schweizer
No sign of a pink miracle
Next up, we have the silicone earplugs in vibrant pink. Although they’re marketed as swimming earplugs, they’re also supposed to be suitable for sleeping. They work in almost exactly the same way as the wax pair. Instead of inserting them directly into your ear canal, you spread them over the opening. You also have to roll them between your hands first to make them warm and malleable. They supposedly cancel out noise measuring up to 23 decibels.
The silicone takes slightly longer to soften than the wax. After a few seconds of rolling, I spread each earplug out in all directions over the entrance to my ear canal. And, miraculously, they hold. Much better than the wax earplugs to boot. They don’t even slip out when I lie down. Alas, two turns of my head later, and they’ve come loose. This. Seriously. Can’t. Be. Happening. Again.
My rating: 🔦🔦🔦
- Comfortable
- Hold okay, but not brilliantly
- Come loose when you move
- Can’t be cleaned
A touch too small
That just leaves Alpine’s SleepDeep lamellar earplugs. According to the manufacturer, they block out up to 27 decibels of noise, making them the most powerful pair in this comparison. They’ve also received the most mentions in recommendations I’ve heard from the Galaxus Community. Members of the Community also gave me a heads-up about the different sizes you need to pay attention to.
Source: Screenshot
Since I know I have an extremely large ear canal (maybe that’s why I can hear every last dust mite fart?!), I go for the M/L pair. The SleepDeep aren’t on-ear earplugs, so I slot them right into my ear canal. The fact they’re made of silicon, a material that’s made my ears itch in the past, has me feeling sceptical at first.
But that concern dissipates. When I hold them between my fingers, the SleepDeep feel pleasantly soft. I carefully push them into my ears, soon realising that the tab has to go at the back, nestled on top of your skin. The left one fits nicely, but the right one won’t seal my ear canal – no matter how many times I twist and turn it. I probably need an L/XL pair, but the company doesn’t do those. I can practically hear Little Red Riding Hood gasping, «My, what big ears you have!» in my direction.
My rating: 🔦🔦🔦🔦
- Comfortable
- Hold well
- Reusable up to 100 times
- Unclear sizing
Source: Darina Schweizer
The search continues
So, there you go. I’ve tried the wolf in sheep’s clothing wax earplugs with cotton wadding, silicone earplugs and lamellar earplugs. And I still haven’t found my perfect pair. My only success was almost hitting the jackpot when I put in the left SleepDeep earplug. A sobering result given so many people swear by that model. But I’m not giving up! Next, I’ll be testing Bluetooth headbands designed to block out noise. Time to dust myself off and move on to the next review. I’ll keep you posted on how it goes.
By the way, a couple of other earplug varieties also made the Community favourites list: Loop Dream and Happy Earplugs. We don’t currently stock them, but our Category Management team are assessing whether they could be added to our range in future.
What other earplugs do you recommend? Let me know in the comments.
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Darina Schweizer
Senior Editor
Darina.Schweizer@digitecgalaxus.chI like anything that has four legs or roots. The books I enjoy let me peer into the abyss of the human psyche. Unlike those wretched mountains that are forever blocking the view – especially of the sea. Lighthouses are a great place for getting some fresh air too, you know?
